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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Auckland Provincial District]

Tauranga

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Tauranga.

Tauranga is a borough which, at the census of March, 1901, had a population of 945 persons. It lies 120 miles to the south-east of Auckland, and is situated on one of the finest harbours in New Zealand. The surrounding district is fertile and extensive, and is noted for agriculture, stock-rearing, dairying, and cheese factories. Winged game abounds, there is trout in the river, and the harbour teems with fish. The town has a post, telegraph and money order office, a branch of the Bank of New Zealand, and two newspapers. Tauranga is connected by a coach service with Rotorua and Paeroa. The district has many localities associated with memorable historic incidents, chiefly connected with Maori traditions and the fighting between the Maoris and the British and Colonial forces. Te Renga Pa and the celebrated Gate Pa are within a few miles of the town.

Tauranga in 1866.

Tauranga in 1866.

Tauranga Borough Council. As constitute by the elections in April, 1901, the Tauranga Borough Council consists of the Rev. J. A. Jordan, Mayor, and Messrs R. J. Allely, W. M. Commons, Ascott Marsh, Jeremiah Murphy, P. J. H. Munro, M. Spence, G. F. Spooner, and Thomas Stuart, councillors.

His Worship The Mayor, The Rev. Charles Jordan, is well known as an old colonist and clergyman, and is referred to in another article as vicar of Tauranga.

Mr. Charles Augustus Clarke, ex-Mayor of Tauranga, was born at Salisbury, England, in 1837. In 1852 he entered into business in London, where he remained until 1868, when he and several others left for New Zealand, and arrived in Nelson about the end of the year. After visiting almost every place in New Zealand and witnessing many stirring scenes amongst the Maoris and on the goldfields, he decided in 1872 to settle in Tauranga, where he became the proprietor of the aerated water business, a branch of which he has established at Rotorua. Almost from the first Mr. Clarke took a great interest in local matters. He has been a vestryman and churchwarden in the Episcopalain Church, and has for many years served as secretary, member, and chairman of the school committee. In March, 1881, he became a member of the Tauranga Town Board, which ceased to exist when the borough was formed. Mr. Clarke stood as candidate for the borough council in 1889 and was duly elected. He served as councillor without intermission until 1893, when he was elected mayor, and continuously filled the position for five years with credit to himself and advantage to the borough. Mr. Clarke, who is esteemed even by those whose opinions are opposed to his, has always studied the advancement of the community as a whole.

Mr. David Lundon, J.P., was Mayor of Tauranga for four years, and was elected three times unopposed. He was born in Sydney, New South Wales, in 1846, and when two years old he came with his parents to this colony, and was educated at St. Patrick's School, and the Rev. John Gorrie's Academy, Auckland. Mr. Lundon was apprenticed to Messrs Percy and Kennerd, saddlers, with whom he served four years, but finding that inside work did not suit him, he decided to learn the building trade. After serving five years' apprenticeship, he worked on his own account as a builder and contractor for many years, in Auckland and Tauranga. Mr. Lundon served through the Waikato war with the Auckland militia, and on arriving in Tauranga in 1867 he joined the Bay of Plenty cavalry and witnessed some exciting incidents. In 1888 Mr. Lundon established himself in business as an auctioneer and general merchant, and was joined by Mr. Raymond in 1896. Both as a member of the council and as mayor, Mr. Lundon has done much for the page 932 advancement of Tauranga. He was instrumental in securing valuable endowments for the borough, and was also successful in obtaining Mount Mangonui as a recreation reserve. He was a member of the first town board, has been chairman of the Tauranga County Council for some years, and has several times been a member of the school committee and of the licensing bench. He is also a member of the Auckland Waste Lands Board. Mr. Lundon received his commission as a Justice of the Peace in 1887. Socially, he is greatly respected, and is without doubt one of the fathers of the prosperous borough of Tauranga.

Mr. D. Lundon.

Mr. D. Lundon.

The Tauranga Post Office has the usual telegraph and money order branches, and receives and despatches mails from and to Auckland, Thames, Rotorua, Napier, etc. Mr. Ernest Northcroft is the postmaster.

Mr. Ernest Northcroft, the Postmaster at Tauranga, agent for the Public Trustee, and officer in charge of the Lands for Settlement office, was born in 1854, at New Plymouth, where he was partly educated. He finished his education at Wellington College, and joined the telegraph service at Patea, where he remained eighteen months. He was also for two years postmaster at Hurunui, North Canterbury. After serving several years in the telegraph offices at Blenheim and Wellington as operator and finally as supervising officer, Mr. Northcroft was appointed assistant officer in charge at the telegraph office at Blenheim in 1888. He subsequently held a similar position in the Christchurch office for four years, and was transferred to Tauranga in 1895. Mr. Northcroft takes a great interest in athletics, but his favourite pastime is floriculture. He is a member of the Tauranga Club, and is generally very popular.

Mr. James Baber, District Surveyor, Tauranga, is a native of Auckland, where he was born in 1855. He was educated partly at the Church of England Grammar School, and finished his school career at the Auckland Grammar School. Mr. Baber first learned his profession with his father, Mr. J. Baber, who is well known in Auckland, and gained considerable experience under the recent Surveyor-General, Mr. Percy Smith. He was employed on the Auckland field staff for several years, and was for some time in the Wellington and Hawke's Bay districts. In 1879 he was permanently appointed in the Auckland Survey Department, and was removed to Tauranga in 1889. Mr. Baber has seen a good deal of rough life up and down the coast, but he has not taken an active part in public matters.

Hanna, photo.Mr. J. Baber.

Hanna, photo.
Mr. J. Baber.

The Church Of England at Tauranga is in one of the oldest parishes in the North Island; the present incumbent alone has been in charge for about thirty years.

The Rev. Charles Jordan, B.A., Minister of the Church of England, Tauranga, is a native of Kerry, Ireland, and was born in 1838. He received his education at Trinity College, Dublin, graduated in 1866, and was ordained by the Bishop of Tuam in 1867. Five years later he came to New Zealand, having been appointed to the charge of the Church of England at Tauranga. Mr. Jordan was elected mayor of Tauranga in 1887, and again in November, 1900, and was re-elected in April, 1901, without opposition; and he has been chairman of the Charitable Aid Board (except for brief intervals) since 1887. He is a member of the Bay of Plenty Licensing Bench and has been a member of the local Good Templars lodge since its inception. Mr. Jordan takes great interest in all that appertains to the welfare of Tauranga, and in politics he is a strong supporter of the Liberal party.

Rev. G. Jordan.

Rev. G. Jordan.

The Venerable Archdeacon Alfred Nesbitt Brown was born on the 23rd of October, 1803. At the age of twenty he gave up the study of the law, for which he was intended, in order to prepare for the work of a missionary, to which he devoted the whole of a long life. At this time the Church Missionary Society's Institution at Islington had not been founded, and he, with a few other young men, were taken by the Rev. Edward Bickersteth, a leading member of the Church Missionary Society, into his house to be prepared for the mission field. In 1825, as soon as it was opened, he entered the Church Missionary Society Institution at Islington under the Rev. W. Pearson. He was ordained deacon and priest by the Bishop of London, and married in 1829. Immediately page 933 after his marriage he sailed with his wife for New Zealand, stopping for some time on the way in Sydney, where he became well acquainted with the Rev. Samuel Marsden, the apostle of New Zealand, and landed at the Bay of Islands towards the close of that year. The New Zealand mission was then in its infancy, and had not extended beyond the immediate neighbourhood of the Bay of Islands. The headquarters were at Paihia, where Mr. Brown joined the brothers Henry and William Williams, and formed one of the only three clergymen of the Church of England at that time in New Zealand; the rest of the missionaries were laymen sent out by the Church Missionary Society at the instance of the Rev. Samuel Marsden. After working some time at Paihia and stations to the north, he removed, in 1835 to Mata-mata on the Waihou (Thames) to open a new station there, at the request of Te Waharoa, the great chief and warrior of Ngatihaua. Waharoa himself died a heathen, but his son Tarapipipi or William Thompson (afterwards known as the kingmaker) became a sincere and consistent convert under the instruction of Mr. Brown, and always entertained the greatest regard and respect for his teacher. War breaking out, the station had to be abandoned, and Mr. Brown returned for a short time to Paihia. In 1838, he went to Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty, where he spent the reminder of his life labouring among the numerous native villages in that populous district. There he died and was buried in 1884 at the age of eighty-one. It should be here mentioned that Mr. Brown was one of the chief benefactors of St. John's College, Auckland, founded by Bishop Selwyn. His only son was one of the first students at the College, and on his death in 1844, he founded the Marsh Scholarship in memory of his son who was so named after the Rev. William Marsh, D.D., the well known vicar of St. Peter's, Colchester (the town in which Mr. Brown had spent his early years) to whom he was most warmly attached. Mr. Brown was made Archdeacon of Tauranga by Bishop Selwyn in 1844.

The Late Ven. Arch. Brown.

The Late Ven. Arch. Brown.

The Stipendiary Magistrate's Court, Tauranga, is presided over by Mr. J. M. Roberts, who is also Warden for the adjacent goldfields.

Tauranga: A Later View.

Tauranga: A Later View.

Mr. John Thomson, sometimes Clerk of the Tauranga Stipendiary Magistrate's Court, Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, Clerk of the Warden's Court, Mining Registrar, and Receiver of Gold Revenue, was a native of Campbelltown, Scotland, where he was born in 1842. He was educated in his native town, which he left for Sydney in 1862. After two years of colonial life in Australia, Mr. Thomson crossed the Tasman Sea and settled in New Plymouth, where he joined the Taranaki military settlers, and saw active service in many of the local engagements with the Maoris. In 1867 Mr. Thomson went to the West Coast goldfields and was for some time mining with varied success. He joined the armed constabulary (No. 6 Company) in 1868, and was present at the engagement at Moturoa in the Patea district. In 1869 he removed to the East Coast, and was appointed assistant clerk of the court at Tauranga, and held the office for five years. In 1876 he was transferred to the Civil Service as clerk of the court at Opotiki, where he remained eight years. After filling a similar position in Cambridge he was some months assistant clerk in the Magistrates' Courts at Auckland and Timaru, and was eventually appointed clerk of the Court at Tauranga in 1891. Mr. Thomson was clerk of the Bay of Plenty Licensing Committee, and also Maori interpreter. (He died some time after this article was first printed.)

The Late Mr. J. Thomson.

The Late Mr. J. Thomson.

The Bank Of New Zealand at Tauranga was established many years ago, and is one of the most flourishing branches of the parent institution.

Bank of New Zealand, Tauranga.

Bank of New Zealand, Tauranga.

Mr. Richard Westenra, Manager of the Bank of New Zealand, Tauranga, is a native of Canterbury, and was born in 1856. He received his education at Christ's College, Christchurch, and joined the Bank there in 1875. Mr. Westenra has filled a great many appointments in the various branches in the page 934 colony. He was for two years junior clerk of the Bank at Timaru, and in 1878 he was appointed teller at Ashburton, where he remained two years. He occupied a similar position in the Napier branch, and it was he who opened the branch at Hastings. He acted as relieving agent at Wairoa, Waipawa, and various other towns, and was teller at Gisborne for six months. In 1887 he was appointed to Lyttelton as accountant, and held that position for six years. After a short service in the banks at Akaroa and Geraldine, he was appointed in 1896 as manager at Tauranga. Mr. Westenra is very popular, and takes a great interest in all matters affecting the welfare of the people.

Professional, Commercial and Industrial.

Clark, John Angus, Land and Commission Agent, Agent for the New Zealand Accident Insurance Company, the Phœnix Insurance Company, etc., Spring Street, Tauranga. Mr. Clark is a native of Hobart, Tasmania, and was born in 1847. He came to the colony in 1857 and received his education at Nelson. After leaving school he entered the office of Mr. Henry Adams, then Crown Prosecutor, with whom he remained until 1871. He then removed to Auckland, where he entered the office of the late Mr. Henry Kissling, solicitor. Four years later Mr. Clark went to Katikati, where he erected and carried on a hotel, which he afterwards disposed of and began as a land and commission agent in 1882. He was agent for the Public Trustee for fourteen years, and is chairman of the school committee and secretary of the Tauranga Domain Board. Mr. Clark has always taken an active part in athletic sports, and as a footballer he played for Nelson in the first provincial match between that city and Wellington in 1867. Mr. Clark is a married man with a family of ten children. His eldest son, Mr. John Archibald Clark, was born in Auckland in 1876, and has had many years' experience on the Thames goldfields. He is at present in charge, at Te Puke, of mining operations, in which his father has been interested for some years, and manages the mine known as “Clark's Freehold.”

Mr. J. A. Clark and Son.

Mr. J. A. Clark and Son.

Raymond, William Theobald, Auctioneer, Tauranga. Mr. Raymond is a native of Dorsetshire, and was educated at King's School, Sherbourne, and St. John's College, Cambridge. Intending to enter the army, he read for a time with a famous army “coach” at Ealing, but owing to ill-health he was unable to adopt that career and left England in 1874 for Australia. There he gained considerable experience among stock of all classes, and was engaged on large runs in Queensland for some years. He had some rough times travelling with cattle, and many exciting experiences in the interior of Queensland. He twice crossed the great open country between the Landsborough and Diamentina rivers by the aid of the compass, and that was in the days when the wild blacks were numerous and hostile. In those journeys, Mr. Raymond saw the Opal ranges and subsisted page 935 partly on the “Nardoo” or desert pea, notable in connection with the explorations of Burke and Wills. In 1879 he came to New Zealand and acquired a property in Taranaki, where he remained for some time. Disposing of his land, he resided near Auckland for a few years, but he then turned to pastoral pursuits and purchased a farm in the Tauranga district. In 1896 he became a partner with Mr. D. Lundon in his well-known auctioneering business, of which Mr. Raymond became sole proprietor in 1898. His stock sales are held at Tauranga, Te Puke, Katikati, Whakatane, and Opotiki. A Weekly auction sale of poultry, produce, etc., is held on Saturday at his business premises in Devonport Road, known as the Haymarket, established in 1871.

Seddon, Robert, Auctioneer and Commission Agent, Tauranga. Mr. Seddon was born in Auckland, in 1859, received his education at Hamilton, Waikato, and afterwards entered the Union Bank. In 1877 he decided to try farming, and for some years was thus engaged in the Waikato. He then entered the Bank of New Zealand as ledger-keeper at Hamilton, and was eventually sent to Tauranga, first as accountant and then as acting agent. In 1890 Mr. Seddon joined the Estates Company, and it was under his management that the Matai Estate was brought to its present condition of perfection. He established himself in his present business in 1896. Mr. Seddon holds regular stock sales throughout the district, and takes a great interest in agricultural shows and the advancement of the district.

Mr. R. Seddon.

Mr. R. Seddon.

Burrows, Arthur Washington, Architect and Surveyor, Tauranga. Mr. Burrows is a native of Norfolk, England, and was born in 1836 He received his education at King Edward VI. Grammar School, Norwich, under Dr. Woolley, and was articled to Mr. W. Brown, architect and surveyor for the county of Norfolk. In 1865 Mr. Burrows came to New Zealand, per ship “Victory;” he landed at Auckland, and moved in 1866 to Tauranga. He saw active service with the Tauranga militia towards the close of the Maori war, and received the New Zealand war medal awarded by the Government to those who had been in action. He was afterwards captain of the Tauranga Rifle Volunteers until they were disbanded in 1877. In 1871 Mr. Burrows entered the Civil Service in the Public Works and Survey Department at Tauranga as draughtsman, and was also appointed land officer and receiver of revenue, which office he held until 1885. He was then appointed Government architect at Rotorua, and under his supervision the sanatorium was laid out, springs enclosed, buildings erected, and the blue bath constructed. In 1887 he returned to Tauranga and has since been in business as an architect and surveyor. Mr. Burrows is a Mason (E.C.) and has been president of the local tennis club. He was a member of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society and has been a member of the Tauranga Acclimatisation Society since its inception. Mr. Burrows was for some time a member of the Tauranga Borough Council.

Spooner, G. and W. (George and Walter Spooner), Coachbuilders, Tauranga. Bankers, Bank of New Zealand. This successful business was originally established at Te Puke in 1891 by Mr. G. Spooner, assisted by his son. Messrs Spooner are well known all along the coast for the excellent vehicles they manufacture, and they have gained numerous prizes at various shows. Mr. Spooner is a thoroughly practical man, well versed in every branch of his trade. He was born in Worcester, England, in 1843, and received his training at the establishment of Messrs McNaughton, Smith and Co., one of the best firms in their own line in the county. Black and white photograph of a wagon He also had experience in Wolverhampaton and Manchester. Mr. Spooner came out to New Zealand in 1874, per “Duke of Edinburgh,” landing at Lyttelton, and for the ensuing eleven years he was foreman for Mr. William Moor, the well-known coachbuilder, of Christchurch. He was also engaged at his trade in Wellington and Auckland, and in 1891 he established a business at Te Puke, whence he moved his headquarters to Tauranga, where he occupies the premises formerly held by Parker and Haua. Mr. Spooner takes great interest in local matters, and has ably assisted in every movement calculated to benefit the district.

Black and white photograph of an open carriage

Commercial Hotel (George Wrigley, proprietor), Tauranga. This well-known hostelry was built in 1875, and has been in Mr. Wrigley's possession since 1894. It contains twenty bedrooms, billiard-room, dining-room, and sample-rooms, and is comfortably furnished throughout. There is also an extensive brewery plant in operation in connection with the hotel, and Mr. Wrigley bears a good reputation as a successful brewer.

page 936

Mr. George Wrigley, the Proprietor, was born in Victoria in 1860, and after completing his education he learned the brewing trade. He came to New Zealand in 1875 with his brother to establish the brewery in Tauranga and he continued to carry it on after his brother's death. Mr. Wrigley is a member of the Tauranga Jockey Club, and at one time owned several good horses, which carried his colours to the winning post on many occasions. In all sporting and athletic matters, Mr. Wrigley takes a keen interest and is a popular host.

Hanna, photo.Mr. G. Wrigley.

Hanna, photo.
Mr. G. Wrigley.

Gilmore, John, General Merchant and Storekeeper, Cameron Road, Tauranga. Mr. Gilmore was born in Belfast, Ireland, in 1844, came to New Zealand by the ship “Bebbington,” and landed at Auckland. He afterwards joined his brother in Tauranga, and they carried on a successful business as coach builders and wheelwrights for many years. In 1880 Mr. Gilmore established himself in Cameron Road as a storekeeper and general merchant, and has since carried on a flourishing business. Mr. Gilmore is always to the fore in all matters pertaining to the welfare of the district, and has frequently been requested by the ratepayers to stand for election. Mr. Gilmore was elected to a seat in the Tauranga Borough Council in 1894.

Spence, Moses, Merchant, Tauranga and Maketu. Mr. Spence was born in County Armagh, Ulster, where he was educated and learned the linen trade before coming to the Colony in 1881, per ship “Lady Jocelyn,” as one of Mr. G. Vesey Stewart's special settlers at Te Puke, and carried on farming for about five years. In 1888 he established a grain, produce and seed business in Tauranga in partnership with Captain Bennett of Te Puke; but in 1893 Captain Bennett retired from the firm and Mr. Spence has carried on the business alone since that date. He is agent for Kempthorne, Prosser and Co.'s manures, Yates and Co.'s seeds, for the Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Association, the North British Fire Insurance Company, for Reid and Gray's agricultural implements, and for D. Hay and Son, nurserymen, Auckland. Mr. Spence has taken considerable interest in public affairs, and was elected to a seat on the borough council in 1898.

Gilman, Arthur Charles, Livery Stable and Mail Coach Proprietor, Spring Street, Tauranga. Bankers, Bank of New Zealand. Private residence, Cameron Road. The proprietor of these well-known stables is a native of Birmingham, England, where he was
Mr. Gilman's Premises.

Mr. Gilman's Premises.

page 937 born in 1860. He received his education at Leamington and came to the colonies in 1879. After considerable experience in Australia he established himself in Tauranga about thirteen years ago. He is the agent in Tauranga district for Messrs Thomas Cook and Son, and regularly runs the mail coaches between Tauranga, Katikati, Waihi, and Te Puke, connecting with the through coaches to Paeroa and Rotorua. Horses and buggies may be obtained for all parts of the district. Mr. Gilman is very well known, and having been engaged in the carrying trade for the whole district for some years previous to acquiring his present business, he thoroughly understands the roads and the requirements of his customers. All letters and telegrams receive his prompt attention. Mr. Gilman takes a great interest in football and racing matters, and at the time this sketch was written he had a filly in training.

Davidson, John A. M., Farmer, “Rangikura Farm,” Tauranga. This settler's farm contains 300 acres of good grass country, and for the past eighteen years it has been devoted principally to fattening store sheep and cattle for the Waihi market. Mr. Davidson was born in Jamaica, in 1856, and received his education there and in London, where he was employed in a bank for some years. He came to New Zealand in 1880, and about twenty years ago acquired his present property. Mr. Davidson has taken an active part in local matters since his arrival in the colony, and is at present (1900–1901) chairman of the Tauranga County Council. He has been chairman of the Te Puna Road Board since his arrival in the district, and has taken a general interest in local matters.

Old Colonists.

Mr. John Conway is one of the oldest settlers in Tauranga. He was elected a member of the Town Board in 1872, and was re-elected yearly till the Board was abolished, and when Tauranga was constituted a borough in 1882, Conway was elected a member of the first council. He retired in 1887. Mr. Conway was born in Jersey, in 1836, and was brought up as a builder. He came out to the colonies in 1854, and after a stay of twelve months in Melbourne, he removed to Auckland, where he was for twelve years in business as builder. In 1867 he was attracted to the Thames goldfields, but three years later he decided to settle in Tauranga, where he established himself in business as a builder, and has remained there ever since. He was a member of the local school committee for twelve years. Mr. Conway is married, and has a grown up family.

Mr. J. Conway.

Mr. J. Conway.

Mount Mongonui and Mammoth Redoubt, Tauranga.

Mount Mongonui and Mammoth Redoubt, Tauranga.

Mr. John Maxwell was one of the early councillors for the Borough of Tauranga, as he took his seat in September, 1882, and retired in September, 1885. He is an Ulster man, and was born in the city of Armagh on the 25th of June, 1835. In February, 1859, he enlisted in the 40th Regiment, which—Colonel Leslie commanding—sailed from Melbourne in March, 1860, by the “City of Hobart,” for Taranaki, then the seat of war in New Zealand, with Major-General Pratt commanding the operations. After serving with his regiment throughout the Taranaki campaign—for service in which he received the New Zealand war medal, Mr. Maxwell went to Auckland in 1862, and was attached for duty as clerk in the Commissariat Department, in which branch of the service he served for four years and occupied a position of great responsibility. Mr. Maxwell purchased his discharge on the 13th of May, 1866, went to Tauranga in the following month, and since then he has resided in the place. Mr. Maxwell has always taken an active interest in all matters affecting the welfare of the district and is well-known and highly respected. He is a Good Templar of many years' standing

Mr. J. Maxwell.

Mr. J. Maxwell.

Mr. Thomas Edward Price, J.P., was born at Builth, Breaconshire, Wales, England, in 1844, and accompanied his parents to Melbourne, Victoria, in 1852. He came to New Zealand in 1863, and was married in 1894 to Annie, daughter of Mr. W. D. Meares, of Canterbury, Kent, England. Mr. Price was appointed to the Commission of the Peace in 1890.

page 938
See page 937. Mr. T. E. Price.

See page 937.
Mr. T. E. Price.

The Hon. Randolph Thomas Rowley is a son of the late Baron Langford, and a brother of the present Baron Langford of Summer Hill House, County Meath, Ireland. He was born at Summer Hill House, Ireland, was trained for the navy at Stubbington House, Hampshire, England, and served several years in H.M. ships “Bristol” and “Lord Warden,” “Minotaur” and “Ariadne.” He came to New Zealand in 1879, to Mr. Vesey Stewart's special settlement No. 2 at Katikati, but eventually decided to settle in Tauranga. His residence, “Hillsden,” is situated in Cameron Road, and is a pretty place with extensive grounds. Mr. Rowley has latterly been living at Wanganui.

Hon. R. T. Rowley.

Hon. R. T. Rowley.

Mr. Edward Samuel, J.P., Cameron Road, Tauranga. Mr. Samuel is a native of London, and was born in 1850. He received his education at University College, and for some years lived and travelled with the late Sir Moses Montefiore in the Holy Land and elsewhere. In 1875 he came to New Zealand, per s.s. “Warwick,” and landed in Wellington. For many years Mr. Samuel has been interested in educational matters and has held many important appointments under the Education Board, including the headmastership of the large school at Carterton. In 1879 Mr. Samuel established the Wairarapa Daily Times” with Mr. Joseph Payton, but eventually disposed of his interest. He edited the Catalogue of the General Assembly Library and also compiled the “New Zealand Reader” for the Minister of Education. When in the Wairarapa he was president of the Teachers' Association, and has twice acted as delegate at the annual conference of the Institute. He was one of the original directors of the “New Zealand Times,” when it became a Government paper in 1892. Mr. Samuel went to Tauranga in 1895 on account of his health, and is now living at “Briarley,” Cameron Road. He takes a great interest in social matters and has always willingly devoted his time to their advancement. He has been a member of the Borough Council and of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, and holds a great number of offices in the various clubs; he is president of the Tauranga Football Club, vice-president of the cricket club, president of the Bay of Plenty Lawn Tennis Club and the Tauranga Musical Society, and is a member of other societies and associations too numerous to mention. As a Mason he held office at Greytown as secretary of his lodge. Although Mr. Samuel has been in Tauranga only a short time, he has done much for the district and has the welfare of the people at heart. In 1883 Mr. Samuel married Anne Maude, eldest daughter of the late Mr. Grosvenor Miles, of Christchurch, and grand-daughter of the late Mr. Henry Phillips, of Rockwood, one of the “Pilgrim Fathers.” He has a family of six children.

Mr. E. Samuel.

Mr. E. Samuel.

Mr. Thomas Henry Tims, late captain of the 20th Middlesex Volunteers, comes of a very old Oxfordshire family. His great-grandfather was Mr. Thomas Tims, of Cropredy, and his grandfather, Mr. Thomas Tims, J.P., was first mayor of Banbury, and held the office three times. He married Miss Martha Chamber in, daughter of Mr. Thomas Chamberlin, Squire of Adderbury. Mr. T. H. Tims is the eldest son of Mr. John Chamberlin Tims, B.A., who married Miss Harriette Anne Rolls (whose ancestors held lands at Priors Marstoa for over five hundred years), and was born in London in 1832. He was educated by his father in New Jersey, United States of America, and in 1874 he entered the employment of the London and North Western Railway Company, with which he remained for nineteen years, and then entered the employment of the North London Railway Company, where he became head of the Audit Office, and retired in 1881. Mr. Tims became captain of the 20th Middlesex in 1860, and was for fourteen years connected with the volunteers. He has won many valuable prizes, amongst which may be mentioned the Duke of Sutherland's prize to all riflemen in the employment of the North Western Railway, between London and Stafford; the Brighton all-comers, in which Captain Tims tied with a Mr. Waterman; and Bass's prize at Wimbledon, in connection with which Captain Tims made nineteen points out of a possible twenty at 500 yards, with a Snider rifle. Captain Tims,
Mr. T. H. Tims and Son.

Mr. T. H. Tims and Son.

page 939 on obtaining his first commission in the volunteers, was presented to the Queen by the Marquis of Salisbury at a levee held by Her Majesty on the 8th of March, 1860. Mr. Tims came to New Zealand early in 1882, and took up land at Te Puke, where he erected the substantial dwellinghouse known as “Clifford Lodge.” Subsequently he decided to remove to Tauranga, and lives at his residence “Charlecote.” In 1856 Captain Tims was married to Miss Clara Anne Meyer, who was a daughter of Mr. Henry Meyer, of London, well known as an engraver, and grand-daughter of Mr. Bernard Geary Snow, of Southam, Warwickshire. His eldest son and only surviving child, Mr. Thomas Chamberlin Tims, was born in London on the 17th of November, 1866, and received his education at Llandovery College, Carmarthenshire, South Wales, under the Rev. A. G. Edwards, now Bishop of St. Asaph. Mr. T. Chamberlin Tims is descended from the ancient family of Lucy on both sides of his house, the paternal and maternal.

Mr. G. H. Whitcombe, Old Colonist, is a native of Dorsetshire, England, where he was born in 1844. After completing his education at Sutton, he served seven years with the Goldsmith's Company of London, where he learned the trade of surgical silversmith, and obtained the freedom of the city. In 1866 he came to Wellington, per ship “Wild Duck,” and was employed there for several years as a clerk in the office of the Panama Shipping Company. He afterwards resided in Auckland, but removed in 1875 to Tauranga, where he acquired property.

Mr. J. Wright, sometime Draper and Clothier, the Strand, Tauranga, established his business in 1879, and it was one of the most flourishing of its kind in the Bay of Plenty. The premises had a frontage to the Strand and Hamilton Street of 66 feet, and contained over 4000 square feet of floor-age space. Eighteen hands were employed, including those in the dressmaking department. A traveller was kept constantly employed in the district, and the connection extended about eighty miles inland and up and down the coast. Mr. Wright was born in County Tyrone, Ireland. After leaving school he had considerable experience with the leading drapers in the Old Country, and coming to this colony as a young man, he established himself in business at Tauranga. The success he met with was entirely due to his own perseverance and business tact, and his name became a household word in Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty district. Mr. Wright died on the 4th of January, 1900.

The late Mr. J. Wright.

The late Mr. J. Wright.